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“We at Vauxhall/Opel can be extremely proud of this Golden Steering Wheel. It proves that all of our efforts have paid off. The new Astra is synonymous with lightweight, highly-efficient engines, better packaging, features from the luxury class, trend-setting connectivity and exemplary quality,” said a jubilant Dr Neumann at the award ceremony.

Opel’s CMO Tina Müller added: “We have already received more than 40,000 orders for the new Astra. And now we have won this very special prize. We can all be delighted with it.”

Built at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, the new Astra is up to 200kg lighter than the outgoing model and, thanks to its clever design, it is smaller on the outside and bigger inside.

The powertrain portfolio features petrol and diesel units ranging from 100PS to 200PS. It includes an all-new 1.4-litre (145PS) ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo, a four-cylinder unit from the same family as the one-litre, three-cylinder engine seen in Corsa, ADAM and VIVA.

The new Astra is equipped with OnStar, making it the first all-new Vauxhall to feature this technology. OnStar services include a high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen-vehicle recovery technology.

This is also one of the first vehicles from a mainstream manufacturer to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is available through a new version of the IntelliLink infotainment system.